we are family

A family tree has been on my project to-do list for a long time (like, years). But after seeing a few beautiful family trees on Pinterest (especially this one), I was inspired to finally get started.

I began with a funky old tray that I snapped up last year when one of the closets at church was being cleaned out. Sure, the paint was ugly, but it had a nice shape.

I painted the middle white and the border Valspar's Dreamy Clouds. Then I put my Silhouette Cameo to work. I didn't take a picture of all the cutting, but this is just one of those instances I was so glad to have a Silhouette. About a million tiny leaves later, I was ready to start gluing.

I used mod podge to glue down all the pieces. The shape of the tray really helped me define the fullness of the tree. My original plan was just to put this on a canvas, but I think the curvy tray adds a lot more character.

My husband's family went on the left of the tree, my family on the right, and our children are the little acorns below. For the sake of space, this family tree only has 4 generations, but someday I'd love to make a huge one (like this) and really dig in.

Oscar was excited when he found out he was one of the acorns. I'm excited to have a long over-due project crossed off my list.

This is what happens when you ask your kids to help you take pictures:

This is stunning. I love the idea of using a tray... genius. And the acorns... don't even get me started. I bought a family tree kit on Etsy two or three years ago. It has been sitting in my closet untouched. Thanks for the inspiration to get it out and start working on it.

I always love your projects, but I was just thinking about how I've always wanted to do a bit of research on my family tree. I always thought that a book or website would be the result. A piece of art is an even better idea.